The notorious Montreal consultant and lobbyist whose controversial dealings resulted in the resignation last week of Canada’s top spy watchdog, Arthur Porter, alleges their “business dispute” helped persuade a major Canadian bank to cancel its services to him, according to documents filed Tuesday in Quebec Superior Court.

Ari Ben-Menashe believes a “sudden unwillingness” by the Bank of Montreal (BMO) to manage his investments “is directly related to the business dispute he was having with Dr. Porter,” reads a motion for injunction filed with the court. The motion is aimed at preventing a second major Canadian bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) from following BMO’s lead and close its accounts with Mr. Ben-Menashe.

In an interview, Mr. Ben-Menashe said he thinks his banking woes have developed because “people in high places” are trying to force him to leave Canada, where he has lived since 1993 following a decade of international exploits, many of them described in his memoir, Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network. Born in Tehran, Iran, Mr. Ben-Menashe claims to have once worked as an intelligence officer for Israel. He is now a Canadian citizen.

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His business dispute with Dr. Porter concerned an unusual $120-million proposal the pair negotiated last year, to fund infrastructure projects in Sierra Leone. Dr. Porter was then a member of the Security and Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC), a federally appointed body that examines the activities of Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service. Dr. Porter was appointed SIRC chairman three weeks after signing his agreement with Mr. Ben-Menashe.

As part of the deal, Dr. Porter wired a $200,000 consultancy payment to a company owned by Mr. Ben-Menashe. When the deal foundered, Dr. Porter’s money was returned to him.

“Very shortly after that,” reads Mr. Ben-Menashe’s motion for injunction, “the Plaintiff was advised by BMO’s private banking division that they no longer wished to do business with him for reasons which BMO refused to explain.”

A BMO official with whom Mr. Ben-Menashe met “did not provide me with any information with respect to the decision to close my accounts other than to make references to my ‘reputation’ and to the fact that I had faced ‘many criminal charges,’ reads an attached affidavit from Mr. Ben-Menashe. “I faced one charge in the United States over 20 years ago with respect to the sale of three cargo aircraft, but I was acquitted of that charge. I have never been tried on any other criminal charges.”

The National Post revealed Mr. Ben-Menashe’s dealings with Dr. Porter in a story published last week. Dr. Porter resigned from SIRC two days later. In his letter of resignation to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Dr. Porter explained that “even a hint of doubt” about his leadership “could impede the SIRC’s ability to accomplish its tasks.” He described the National Post’s account as a “scurrilous portrayal,” but has not elaborated.

Dr. Porter could not be reached Tuesday to comment on the court filing. He is not accused of any wrongdoing. He has said that he entered into an agreement with Mr. Ben-Menashe in a bid to help Sierra Leone, where he was born 56 years ago.

Besides suggesting that his failed deal with Dr. Porter caused his problems with BMO, Mr. Ben-Menashe’s motion names CIBC as sole defendant in his case. The motion alleges that two months ago, CIBC sent Mr. Ben-Menashe a letter notifying its intention to close two banking accounts he holds there, plus a CIBC Visa credit card account used by himself and one of his daughters. CIBC said in its letter that the accounts would close Nov. 29, 2011.

A copy of the letter, obtained by the National Post, indicates it was prepared by the bank’s “National Risk Monitoring” department. Like the notice from BMO last year, CIBC offered Mr. Ben-Menashe no reason for deciding to close his accounts, it is claimed.

“CIBC has given the plaintiff no indication of any risk that they perceive, nor met with the Plaintiff to discuss any transaction or activity on his account, nor indicated which transaction or activity could be illegal or fraudulent or otherwise a source of concern, nor given him the opportunity to address whatever concerns it may have, despite the Plaintiff’s offer to travel to Toronto if necessary,” reads Mr. Ben-Menashe’s motion. “The plaintiff has been told by CIBC to obtain banking services from another bank, but he has been rebuffed by all of the major banks in Canada.”

Mr. Ben-Menashe’s motion was filed in Montreal late Tuesday afternoon. Neither BMO nor CIBC were able to formulate a response when asked. The two banks are assumed to have done nothing improper.

The motion asks the Quebec Superior Court to issue a safeguard order, an interlocutory injunction and a permanent injunction ordering CIBC not to terminate or alter its banking relationship with Mr. Ben-Menashe. “It would be hugely inconvenient, if not effectively impossible, for the Plaintiff to function in Canada without such services, which must be almost ubiquitous among Canadians with good credit ratings,” the motion reads.

Three other Canadian banks — none named in the motion filed Tuesday — have also moved to close his accounts. Earlier this month, Caisse Desjardins du Quebec ended their relationship with a letter saying it “has information that you are a politically exposed foreign person within the meaning of the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act. As well, the [Caisse] was informed of your involvement in the activities of arms trafficking.”

Mr. Ben-Menashe told the National Post that the accusations are false, and that they left him feeling “sick and abused.”

His motion relating to CIBC is to be heard in court Thursday, according to one of his lawyers.